A Murderous Voyage
by BadgerLeopard
Summary: When Arnold Walker is murdered on the Saint Marie ferry, DI Jack Mooney and his team are quickly on the scene. They soon find out that a witness was present during the time of the murder, but, when the killer unexpectedly turns up, can they catch the killer before they strike again?


**A Murderous Voyage **

**Featuring DI Jack Mooney, Officer J.P Hooper and Officer Ruby Patterson**

Arnold Finch looked out, ahead of him, at the beautiful island of Saint Marie, as the ferry which he was on slowly chugged into the port.  
He had served in the Honore Police Force a long time ago, and had made sure that Commissioner Patterson had looked for a suitable replacement immediately. Now, after so long, he felt as if Saint Marie was the right place for him: the right place to spend the rest of his life.  
He was an old man, with grey hair, and a fairly gruff face. Currently, he was dressed in a blue shirt and black jacket, and his old hands clutched a wheelie case and a suitcase.  
Nearby, Becca Ainsley was sat, reading a copy of _Death on the Nile_, ever so often lifting her bottle of beer to her lips and gulping the rough brown liquid down her throat, before returning to her reading. Her calm blue eyes slowly drifted down the page, and the next, before another page turn came, and another swig was taken from the beer bottle.  
Next to Becca, an American businessman sat, rifling through his copy of _The Sunday Times_, with his suitcase perched on his knees. Similar to Becca, his eyes drifted down the thin, rustling pages of the newspaper, occasionally with a look of surprise.  
When the boat was just about to dock, the driver, a young man called Hamilton, lifted his loudspeaker to his lips and announced, "Ladies and gentlemen, this boat is about to dock. Please have all of your items with you, as we are about to disembark."  
At that moment, Arnold began to walk with his wheelie case towards the exit, but was stopped by a young blonde woman.  
"Are you Arnold Finch?" she asked him, holding a notepad and pen, ready to take notes.  
"Yes. That's me. I suppose that you're some sort of journalist who wants to interview me?" he grumbled, reluctant to take part in the interview.  
"You're a very good detective, I'll give you that." she chuckled, as the other passengers made their way to the exit to disembark.

A few moments later, once all the passengers had left, Hamilton got up from his cabin, and strolled around, smiling. It was only one day left until payday, and his boss had just phoned to say that he may be getting a bonus.  
He then decided, because nobody was looking, to start skipping with glee, to celebrate his recent success. However, he noticed that one of the passengers was still sat down, with their eyes shut.  
"Er, sir, it's time to go." Hamilton explained, walking towards the old man.  
Soon though, he found out why the old man had stayed behind: there was a red stain on his shirt, along with a small, circular tear in the fabric.  
DI Arnold Finch was dead.

Half an hour later, DI Jack Mooney had arrived at the port of Saint Marie, along with his fellow officers JP Hooper and Ruby Patterson.  
Jack was an oldish man, mid-50s, with a charming face, and kind, wise eyes. He wore a pink shirt and grey tie, along with some beige trousers, and brown shoes.  
JP was a young man, a Caribbean native, dressed in Honore Police uniform, and carried a satchel containing Jack's crime scene kit, which was used to analyse a crime scene, and to look for any hidden details.  
Ruby, on the other hand, was a young woman, also a Caribbean native, but with eager eyes, a face which was able to handle a lot of expressions, and a large blob of brown hair on her head. Two large circular earrings were attached to her ears, and she was also dressed in Honore Police uniform.  
Hamilton was waiting for them, near to the entrance of the ferry.  
"I presume that you must be the Honore Police?" he asked them, with an assumptive tone.  
"Yes, that'll be us." Jack replied, with an Irish accent, "Would you mind showing us the body?"  
Hamilton led them to the exact place where he had found the body of DI Finch, before leaving DI Mooney and his team to do their work.  
"So then, JP, Ruby," he quizzed his colleagues, "What do you make of this?"  
"Sir, shall I find the witness?" JP queried, with a hint of a Caribbean accent.  
Jack glanced at JP, surprised.  
"There was a witness?"  
"Yes, sir," Ruby explained, "Apparently there was one witness: a journalist called Matilda Watkinson, who writes for an English newspaper called _The Sunday Times_."  
"Ah, _The Sunday Times_. Back in England, dozens of people would always flock to their local newsagents every Sunday morning in order to read that very paper, as well as several others of course."  
JP and Ruby shared the look that they always shared when DI Mooney began to stray away from the case.  
"She heard about Arnold coming to Saint Marie, and flew over from London to Guadeloupe, before catching a ferry from Guadeloupe to Saint Marie." JP said, returning his boss's attention to their current murder enquiry.  
"Go and get her, JP. We're going to need to ask her a few questions."  
JP nodded back, and left, leaving Jack alone with Ruby.

Once JP had left, Jack knelt down and, with a pair of white rubber gloves on his hands, undid the shirt which Arnold was wearing, revealing the wound which had killed him: a small circle, about eight to nine millimetres in diameter, which blood had poured out of.  
"So then, Ruby, what sort of a gun do you think made that wound?" he wondered.  
"Er, sir, I'd say that that gun would be some sort of revolver. But I'm no good with guns to be honest, sir, I'm more of a people person."  
"Ah, I see. But that's still a good assumption. Just give me a minute."  
Strangely, Jack decided to place his fingers on his temples and close his eyes, as if he was some sort of psychic magician. But, that was a very normal thing for an unusual person like DI Mooney to do.

_He pictured the murder: Arnold Finch watched, as an unidentiable figure took out a revolver, and aimed the weapon at him. The weapon was soon fired, and a wound appeared in his chest. Blood began to pour out of it shortly afterwards, as he died._

Jack beamed at Ruby.  
"I reckon that a revolver is a pretty accurate guess, Ruby. But the question is, who could have fired it, and why?"  
At that moment, JP appeared, escorting Matilda into the room: a young blonde woman, carrying a handbag, and dressed in a red vest.  
"Well done, JP." he commented, and the questioning began.  
"Now then, Ms Watkinson," Jack said, with his serious, questioning voice, "Tell me what happened to Arnold Finch."

_I was interviewing Arnold, as I felt that his stories would make a brilliant article. But, as I was getting to my question about the Armando Giovetti case, someone entered the room._

"Can you describe who entered the room?" JP asked her.  
"He was young and short. A bit of brown stubble, and dressed in a black suit."  
"I see," Jack remarked, "Please, do carry on."

_The person who entered the room drew a silver revolver from his pocket, and shot Arnold in the chest. He then stared at me, and put a finger to his lips, as if he didn't want me to tell anyone about what happened._

"Okay then," Jack declared, "I think we'd better get back to the station. We're gonna need to think this through."

At Honore Police station, Commissioner Patterson was sat on the bench outside, waiting for DI Mooney and his team to arrive. He was a burly old man, wearing a beige police suit, and with some grey hairs emerging on his forehead. He also, coincidentally, was the uncle of Ruby.  
"Ah, Commissioner," Jack remarked, noticing the old man outside the police station, "We're just about to try and solve the Arnold Finch case."  
The Commissioner looked at Jack, with a stern look on his face.  
"Inspector Mooney," He said, with a voice that reflected his age, "I need to talk to you in private."  
"JP, Ruby, go on ahead and get ready to tell me everything we know when I get there." Jack ordered, allowing JP and Ruby to pass by, leaving him and the Commissioner alone.

A few miles away, Robert Beckinsale stood, on the beach near the port of Saint Marie, watching curiously, as a silver revolver washed up onto the shore.  
"What are you doing here?" he wondered, curiously.  
He strolled over to the revolver, cautiously, and pocketed the large gun. Having made sure that nobody had seen him, he then made his way towards the Honore Police Station.

"Inspector Mooney, I have had word from the Chief Commissioner in Paris that the firearms incident involving DS Cassell is to be investigated thoroughly by internal affairs." the Commissioner announced.  
"And, if you don't mind me asking, why did you want me to know about this?"  
"Because I wanted you to be aware that things may change soon, and you and your team may be observed. I just wished that you were aware of that."  
"I see. So, I'd better get back to the case, because Ruby and JP will probably need a third mind to help solve it."  
The Commissioner nodded, understanding Jack's point.  
"You know, I used to know DI Finch. He was a good detective, with a sharp mind. But he had one flaw."  
"And what was that?"  
"He always gave too many details away to the press."  
And with that, the Commissioner walked back to his car, got inside, and drove away, allowing Jack to bound up the stairs, and enter the police station.

Inside the police station, JP and Ruby had already created an investigation database, which was, essentially, a whiteboard which had the images of DI Finch as well as Matilda Watkinson and the other passengers on the ferry.  
"So then, tell me everything that we know about our suspects so far." Jack instructed, pacing towards the database and examining each picture thoroughly.  
"Suspect 1: Matilda Watkinson," Ruby read from her clipboard, as Jack examined the photo of the young blonde, "Currently working as a journalist for _The Sunday Times_. Her husband, Keith Watkinson, works as a primary school teacher in Wolverhampton, and her daughter, Joy, currently works in London, adding case files to the Police archive."  
After Ruby had read out all of the information, Jack had a thoughtful look on his face.  
"Now, it can't be Matilda, as she told us that another person shot DI Finch, and that she narrowly avoided getting killed as well." Jack examined the investigation database, looking for an image that resembled Matilda's description. He smiled, finding an image of a young man, who was quite short, and had a small brown stubble on his neck. He turned to face JP and Ruby, the picture visibly in his hand. "I think we've found our killer."

Something unexpected then happened: the man from the image knocked on the door of the police station.  
"Can we help you at all?" Jack queried, with a cheerful tone, and with the image of the killer held behind his back.  
The young man walked up to Jack, and handed him the revolver that he had found on the beach.  
"I found this on the beach, near the port." he explained, whilst Jack examined the revolver thoroughly.  
"Thanks. And you don't happen to know anything about this revolver, by any chance?"  
There was a pause for a moment.  
"No. Why would I have something to do with a random revolver that I found on the beach?" He then took a look at the investigation database, and his eyes widened. "That's my name!" he cried, pointing at the name "ROBERT BECKINSALE", which was the only name on the board that didn't have an image to accompany it.  
"Yes. It is. Now then, Robert, tell me everything you know about the murder of Arnold Finch." Jack looked at his two colleagues. "JP, dust this revolver down for fingerprints. And Ruby, I want you to find Matilda, and keep an eye on her."  
"Why sir? Surely she's not the killer?" Ruby questioned.  
"Ruby, I have a feeling that Matilda may be in danger, so I'd like you to keep her company for a little while."  
Ruby smiled, knowing that the detective had recognised her people skills, and strolled out of the police station.

Once Ruby had left, JP got to work on dusting the revolver, and Jack began the questioning of Robert.  
"So then, Mr Beckinsale, tell me everything you know about the death of Arnold Finch." Jack instructed, sat on a wooden stool near to the investigation database.

_The ferry had almost pulled up to the port, and I was just about to leave, when I heard two voices nearby. They were talking about one of my clients, and I thought that I should investigate._

"And why did you have a revolver with you?"  
"Inspector, I'm someone who has a lot of powerful enemies. I need to have some form of weapon with me at all times, so that I stay alive, and the bad guy doesn't."  
"I see. Just out of interest, what's your job, Mr Beckinsale?"  
"I'm a psychologist, Inspector."  
"I see. Do carry on."

_I entered the room, revolver in hand, and the two people who had been talking looked at me, afraid. One was an old man, with grey hair, and a face of someone who had seen the worst of humanity, and the other was young, a journalist I think._

_"Tell me about what you've been talking about." I demanded, aiming the gun at the older man._

_"Sir, if you must know," the old man replied, in a growl, "We have been talking about a case that I have solved that involved Armando Giovetti. Does that answer your question?"_

_"What did he do? Who did he kill?"_

At this moment, JP returned, with a sheet identifying who's fingerprints had been on the gun: one of the names on the list was Robert Beckinsale.  
"Thank you, JP." Jack complimented, before instructing, "Now, could you do a background check on the name 'Armando Giovetti'?"  
"Okay, sir."  
"Good man."

_"Sir, if you must know," the old man replied, in a growl, "We have been talking about a case that I have solved that involved Armando Giovetti. Does that answer your question?"_

_"What did he do? Who did he kill?"_

_"He killed Frances Doyle, on the beaches of Saint Marie. But this is a case from the 1990s, why would it have any significance now?"_

_"Armando Giovetti is a friend of mine. I will do anything for him. And if you've arrested him, then you're going to suffer."_

_I then fired the gun, which hit the old man in the chest, making blood dribble out of the wound it had made until he was dead. Once I had made sure that he was dead, I turned to the journalist, and told her to keep quiet._

Jack looked at Robert, astonished that, for the first time, he had encountered a killer that had confessed to murder.  
"Sir," JP called, making Jack get up and walk over to JP's side, "I've found the case file on Armando Giovetti: he murdered Frances Doyle, an English tourist, on 13th May 1995, and DI Finch was the officer that arrested Giovetti for what he had done."  
Feeling as if he now had enough evidence to make an arrest, Jack turned to face Robert, and announced, "Robert Beckinsale, you are under arrest for the murder of DI Arnold Finch. JP, take him to the cells."  
However, just before JP had the chance to arrest him, Robert got up, and sprinted out of the police station. Jack and JP shared an awkward look, and ran after him.

Meanwhile, across town, Ruby and Matilda were sat outside, in a small shack, with two cocktails by their side. Naturally, Ruby had thought that the best way of keeping Matilda safe would be to treat her to the luxuries of Saint Marie. After all, it was a win-win for the both of them: Matilda would be protected, and she would get some time off from work.  
"Are you sure about all this?" Matilda asked, feeling unsafe.  
"Don't worry, it'll be fine: I may have never done this in my life before, but I've got this covered." Ruby assured her, giving her one of her childish smiles.

But before Matilda could reply to Ruby's assurance that they were safe, Ruby's phone rang: Jack was calling her. She picked up the phone, and stood up.  
"Hi sir, what's up? I'm keeping Matilda safe." she said, the device held up close to her ear.  
"Ruby, we've got a bit of a situation. Our murderer has escaped, and may now be heading towards you." Jack explained, with the occasional wheeze and puff of exhaustion.  
"Are you running sir?"  
"I am, Ruby. I am. But you need to think of something fast. Or else things may get a little bit out of hand."  
"I'll think of something sir."  
"Good. I can see why your uncle wanted you to be in the Police."  
The phone call then ended, and Matilda looked at Ruby.  
"What's wrong?"  
"Bit of a problem: there may be a killer coming to us, and he might kill you."  
Matilda smiled, as she had an idea.  
"Come on, we need to get to the port!"

Robert was now searching for his target: the journalist who had clearly told the police about his exploits. He was going to find her, and kill her with his bare hands.  
"Where are you? Where are you, you blabbering journalist?" he wondered, examining the crowd near the coast of Saint Marie.  
He continued to wait some more, until he noticed the journalist being escorted by a police officer. Great, he thought, she's only gone and got herself an escort.  
"Come on, we need to get to the port right now." the journalist said, which sparked a thought in Robert's mind: they were heading for the port.  
He smiled, as he strolled towards the port of Saint Marie.

Elsewhere, Jack and JP had lost Robert, and were now at the Saint Marie market, near to the port.  
"What do we do now, sir?" JP asked Jack, exhausted.  
"Well, JP, we need to find Ruby. She's the one who's been keeping an eye on Matilda for the past few hours."  
"Sir, Ruby's there!"  
JP pointed to where Ruby and Matilda were stood, at the port entrance. Jack beamed, and walked over to them, just as they had begun searching the port for an unused boat.

Inside the port, Matilda was looking around for a boat that she could easily use.  
"What exactly are you planning?" Ruby queried, with a look of confusion on her face.  
"I need a boat, which I can get away in. I then drive the boat out to sea, and as far away as I can from here."  
Matilda then spotted a watertaxi, and dashed towards it, leaping onto the boat, before she shoved the driver off the boat having done so. Jack and JP were now with Ruby, just as Matilda drove away out to sea.  
"Ruby, did you allow her to do this?" Jack questioned, watching the small boat chug out to sea.  
"Sir, I couldn't stop her. Look on the bright side, at least she's alive."  
Robert then entered the port, and spotted Matilda, far away from Saint Marie.  
Spotting an opportunity, Jack turned to JP and asked, "Handcuffs?"  
"I always do, sir. In case of emergencies."  
"Then do what you should have done half an hour ago, JP."  
JP then walked up to Robert, and handcuffed him. He then led him away, holding his arm. Not wanting to have to chase after Robert again, Jack and Ruby followed JP back to the police station.

An hour later, at the bar where Ruby had been earlier, Jack, Ruby and JP were sat, dressed in leisure clothes, with beers in front of them.  
"JP, did you hear from Dwayne recently? He seems to have just vanished off of the face of the Earth." Jack remarked, before taking a sip from his beer.  
"I called him a few nights ago, sir. He told me that he had reached Cuba, and that he was chatting up girls in clubs across Havana."  
"That does sound like Dwayne."  
Jack beamed, and relaxed in his chair, looking forward to whatever lay ahead.

**THE END**


End file.
